The Long Distance Relationship
by Ickle-Ronnikens
Summary: Harry is away at work for long periods at a time, making for an unstable relationship with the person he loves back home. Maybe complete? Please review!


The Long Distance Relationship

It was late evening. Rain had been pelting down onto the streets of London for hours now, the windshield wipers on every car were moving like a blur and the sidewalks had become a long winding sea of black umbrellas. Somewhere in amidst that barrage of pedestrians was a young man – fair height, but not too tall, he was rather thin yet he sported a fit body, athletic and able; he wore glasses, and his eyes were pure emerald green – and most importantly his black messy hair gave him a ruggedly handsome look.

Harry Potter was attempting to be incognito.

He was choosing to blend in with the crowd, rather than simply apparate to the doorstep of his destination, because the purpose of his visit was a surprise. He hadn't been in these parts for a couple of months now, the reasons being were severely more complicated than he would have liked – but his means of work can be complicated even for him at times.

His ex-girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, had no idea he was coming. Indeed, Harry was half prepared for her to not even be there, such was his sudden spur of the moment visit. But he took the chance, because he hadn't seen her in ages, a couple of months at least, and despite the fact they were no longer in a relationship, the likeness they had for one another had never really faltered.

However, the one problem he might face with them not being in a relationship, was that Ginny might have met someone, and if Harry were to stumble upon that would be quite awkward. Those who knew Ginny would agree she was not one to sit around and do nothing. More often than not her spare time would be spent frequenting bars and pubs with friends and team mates from the Quidditch team she plays for, the Holyhead Harpies.

Therefore, the likelihood of her having met someone was quite high – she is after all very attractive.

Fortunately for Harry, Ginny had not met someone and she had neither any company nor any plans to go out. And although he did not know this, Ginny was just contemplating an early night when he got to the welcome mat of her apartment (dripping water everywhere) and knocked. With his excitement building, Harry took a deep breath and listened as Ginny's light footsteps padded over the floorboards towards the door.

'Merlin's sake, Amber, I said I wasn't up to going out tonight!' said Ginny sharply, sounding slightly annoyed, 'and yet you follow me home and...'

She trailed off after wrenching open the door and lifting her head up, where she saw Harry standing there, grinning at her.

'Who's Amber?' Harry asked calmly, 'is she hot?'

Ginny's eyes bulged to the size of saucers.

'Harry?'

She instantly threw herself into his arms. Almost two months of force was put behind Ginny's lunge, so much so that despite the fact that Harry caught her, he was slightly put-off, and she winded him. But he recovered quickly and was able to place her back down gently.

'Alright-?' he started, but was interrupted when Ginny pressed her lips firmly against his, pushing all her body weight back into his.

It was passionate but brief. When she pulled back, Ginny looked slightly anxious, as if maybe she should not have done that. But Harry smiled down at her, and she half smiled back, shrugging. Harry took a moment to take her in; she had been contemplating sleep, therefore she had on only sweat pants and a plain t-shirt, but she still looked incredibly attractive with her long red hair cascading around her shoulders.

'Merlin you're a sight for sore eyes,' he breathed, holding her by her shoulders at an arm's length.

'This is... a surprise,' she said, resting her head against his hand, 'I wasn't expecting you!'

'But that's the whole point, Gin,' Harry said, pulling her in for another hug, 'I would never have been able to get that reaction out of you if I'd send an owl ahead.'

Ginny laughed. 'Yes, you probably would have.'

'Hmm...' Harry let her go and stepped into the apartment which, on first glance, seemed not to have changed since he had last been there. 'Who _is _Amber, by the way?'

'What? Oh...' Ginny sighed, 'a friend. And she's uglier than you can scarcely imagine.'

She smirked and seemed to enjoy mocking her friend, but Harry had the inclination that she was being sarcastic, and instead of pursuing the matter any further he dropped it.

'So where have you been?' Ginny asked carefully, 'what have you been up too? I've missed you so much!'

Harry smiled. 'I've been busy,' he said simply, 'and I've missed you too.'

Ginny bit her lip.

'Can you stay?'

'For as long as you want.' Harry nodded.

And so he stayed.

Ginny opened a bottle of wine and they began talking – well, Ginny talked, Harry listened. She had weeks of stories built up to tell him, succumbing to the fact that she knew he could not tell her where he'd been – and he'd rather not relive it anyway. The evening went by rather quickly, the bottle of wine went even quicker; and even before it happened, reality was they both knew what was to come.

Sex was so easy for them.

Literally like riding a bike. And what with the gap between adventures, with a dry spell both would prefer not to go through again, the moment was over just as quickly as it started. And they slept as well as either had for weeks, well into the morning, where the sun had even casted a silhouette half way across Ginny's bedroom.

Harry woke first. His body clock more attuned to rising early in the morning than Ginny's, though he preferred to just lie there and stare at the ceiling rather than risk waking her up; holding a warm body close to his was like a distant memory for Harry, as was the heavenly smell of her flowery hair and perfume. He forgot how much she moved in her sleep, wondering how he hadn't noticed that or woken because of that, when he had gotten so use to sleeping alone these past months.

Eventually bored, and deducting that she could sleep through a war, Harry shimmied Ginny to one side of the bed and rose gingerly to his feet. He urinated like someone who had had sex for the first time in years, washed his hands and face, and returned to sit on the end of the bed.

He could have slithered back in under the covers and slept for years. But he can't. He began dressing, and was buttoning up his shirt when he felt the mattress move and Ginny's warm body press against him from behind.

'Morning,' she whispered, kissing his cheek.

'Sleep well?' he whispered back.

'Very.'

Her svelte fingers ran up the line of his linen shirt, undoing the buttons he had just done up as she went along. She ran her hand over his naked torso and purred into his ear.

'Gin.'

'You said for as long as I want,' she reminded him.

'I have to.'

'Hmm.'

Ginny sounded disgruntled but did not express it. She was, after all, his ex-girlfriend, and their relationship was unscripted, opened and without limitations. She knew he was going, and she knew she could do nothing about it – she just hated accepting it.

'How long this time?' she asked hopefully.

'If I knew...' Harry whispered.

Ginny nodded.

Harry swivelled and kissed her sweetly and briefly on the mouth, wondering himself just how long it'd be until he tasted her again. And so he rose from the bed and crossed to the door; on the threshold he looked back, and instantly wished he hadn't. He had to be some kind of an idiot, Harry had, for how anyone in their right mind could walk away from such a gorgeous young woman, who was sat kneeling on the bed, completely naked and entirely at his mercy.

That picture changed dramatically five minutes later; for once Harry had gone, Ginny sat there with a pillow clutched to her chest and had silent tears running down her rosy cheeks.


End file.
